Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-06-22
THE CITY SCHOOLS.
CLOSING EXERCISES OF THE PUBLIC HIGH


THE CITY SCHOOLS.
CLosI NC EXERCISES OF THE PUBLIC HIGH
SCHOOL.
The closing exercises of the Staunton Public
High School took place at the Opera House,the
evening OF the 10th instant. 1t was an occasion
OF unusual interest The house was filled long
before the hour of commencement, and many
had to turn away, not being able to obtain
seats The Stonewall Brigade Band was pres
emit and added the pleasure of its excel emit
music as the interludes OF the programme OF
of the exhibition occurred. The City Super.
intendent Of Schools, Professor W. W. Robert
son. and Professor George P. Perry, Principal
ofthe High School, conducted the proceedings.
Rev. D. K. Mcfarland, D. D.. by announce
ment, opened the exercises with fervent and
appropriate prayer. Then followed
PART FIRST.
Salutatory, Geo rge A. VanLear; Defamation
-"Regulus"-HamptonlW ayt Essay-"suc-
cess"-Miss Oracle Yost Last Prayer" Eddie
Byers, who was raptu rously applauded and re-
turned to the front and recited the amusing
account Of Gearing for the Baby" Declama-
tion-"spartacus"-Edw Faison. Declam-
ation-"The South faithful to her duties"-Ru-
dolph Bumgardner. Essay - sold Folks
Thoughts'-Miss Ina Asst. Declamation-"The
South once more in the Union"-Willie Nor
ton.
Then followed the exercises of the young
ladies' class in cslesthenies and the small girls
class in the same. In the latter, there were
about seventy.fi In number. The brief time
these CT asses were upon the stage was not the
least In interest to the audience which mani
tested much delight. Miss Maria Mills was at
the Piano.
PART SFc0ND
Medals.-The first of the second part was the
presentation Of medals by Mr.. W. II. II. Lynn.
OF the Board of Trustees, who made most
happy introductory Of the ceremony he was
called upon to per form, and, with the award of
each medal, graceful and appropriate address
to each recipient. The first.honor medal Miss
Cora Shepherd. Second, Literature. George
Hudson. Third, highest Grammar GradeJo John
A. Atkins.
Diplomas were then presented by Prof Perry
to the following named pupils. Ed. Faison,
Geo. II. Hudson, Willie Morton, Geo. A. Van
Lear. In closing his remarks, the Prot. named
Miss Cora Shepherd, medalist, and Willie Nor
ton, who was also distinguished in declama-
ton, as worthy of special mention. because Of
their perfect standing In their clasG.
Distinctions-The awards ofdIstinctions were
then made by Superintendent Robertson as
ence Moore. Lizzie Hogshead, James Foster
Carrie Bell. Hampton Wayt, Rudolph Bum
gardner, Lewis Witt. Rosa Root, Bessie Turner.
Maud Fletcher and Stuart Arthur.
THE DEoLAIMER's MEDAL.
It will be noticed in the first part of the pro-
:gramme that Hampton Wayt, Ed. Faison.
Rudolph Bumgardner. and Willie Morton en-
tered the list for the decaimer's medal. Hon.
Jno W. Stout, Rev. J. S. Gardner, DID,, and
A. c, Braxton, Esq, were the Committee to
Nudge of the same and make the award. The
decision, of course, was only known to the
Committee, and DR.. Gardner. who had taken
the place Of Mr.. Braxton, as he was called away
after they had decided, said that all Of the
disclaimers had acquitted themselves so hand
somely that each deserved recognition, but as
only one prize was to be given, theyoung gen.
tleman so honored would please present him
self on the stand when his name was called
which was Willie Morton who had delivered
the speech of the late distinguished statesman
B. d. Hill, of Georgia-'The South once more
in the Union"
The prize was set Of Macaulay's Works. The
DIR. in presenting the award said many pretty
things to the youthful orator which he will
doubtless treasure up for his comfort in future
years of honorable distinction, which he will
surely gain if he lives, and concluded by saying
that his competitors were equally as pleased
with the result as the recipient of the honor
could be. for they were with him in the con-
test more 10 add to the Interest of the occasion
than with the expectation of securing the
prize.
SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE Summaries.
Through the disposition of fund, which will
be explained, VIM. J. Nelson, Jno. B. Hoge and
Joseph B. Woodward. Esqs., are invested with
authority to appoint number of scholars to
the Augusta Female Seminary, the Virginia
Female Institute, and the Wesleyan Female
Institute, and Mr.. Joseph B. Woodward of the
Board was chosen to perform that service in
the exercises. After the young ladies named
for the appointment to scholarships in said
Institutions were invited to the stand Mr.
Woodward procee led to give history of the
fund in connection with the delivery to the
ladies of the certificates of their appointme nts.
The following extracts are made from the mar
rative as read by Mr.. Woodward
about sixty years ago, there lived in the
then borough of Staunton an old maiden lady
named Margaret Slayer. This old lady was OF
very benevolent turn of mind, and, being the
owner of considerable property, she made
last will and testament in the year 1929, Begin
ming with the words, SIN the name of God,
Amen" signed with her mark. In this will,
she left the bulk of her property in the hands
OF her executors. Jno. c. Sewers and Samuel
Clarke, with discretion to useit in whatever
way they might think best for the education
of orphans and poor children of the town of
.Staunton.
"The fund was faithfully executed by said
executors as long as thew lived, and after their
death, Jno. N. Hendren, the admi uistrator of
the last surviving executor, Samuel Clarke, in
stituted chancery suit in the Circuit Court OF
rection of the court as to the disposition of the
residue of said fund which remained in the
hands OF his interstate al his death and amount
ed to something over 81 ,000."
Passing over the text OF a part of the history
as furnished by Mr.. Woodward, it appears that
in 1885, the court disposed of the case by ap.
pointing Col. Jno. B. Baldwin, Colonel George
Baylor, and Archibald D. Trotter, ESQ. to &C.
cept the offer of the three institutions named
and the Staunton Male Academy to educate
continuously a certain number of pupils In
the execution of the order of Court for the pur.
pose OF carrying out the will of the benefactor,
Messrs. Nelson. Hoge, and Woodward are the
successors of the first board named above
Continuing, Mr.. Woodward sald:-
This board have thought it wise in admin
isteringt this sacred trust to make it not only
an acceptable and much-needed gift to the
",
thereby enabling them to get the benefit of
liberal education which would otherwise be
beyond their reach. and thus giving to such an
honorable support by teaching but they have
also sought to make these scholarships a re-
waro OF meritorious standing in our public
schools and In order that no mistakes might
be made by them in their selections, they have
sought the aid OF our worthy Superintendent
and of the Board Of Trustees.
There are at present three vacancies to be
niieo' TWO IN the Virginia Female Institute.
and one in the Wesleyan Female Institute. Tt
Is probable there will also be one yacancv in
the Augusta Female Seminary, of which the
commission is not at this time fully informed.
fit should occur, the commission have se1eot.
cd TO NIL 1t, Miss Lizzie Hogshead. For the
vacancies In the Virginia Female Institute.
they have selected Misses Cora Shepherd and
Carrie Bell, and for that in the Wesleyan Fe-
male Institute. Miss Florence Moore.r
Mr. woodward concluded in neat and ap-